What SO· Games does

SO· Games is a non-profit professional association (Association loi 1901, Siret 50539681200024) representing more than 100 video game studios, freelancers, and industry professionals across Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France's largest region. Registered in Bordeaux, the association operates with three permanent staff and a Conseil d'Administration that is composed of representatives drawn from member studios and aligned organizations. Its core function is to provide collective representation, professional development, and ecosystem coordination for a member base that spans AAA studios (Asobo Studio, Ubisoft Bordeaux), independent developers (Shiro Games, Motion Twin, Tower Five, Opia Games, Bureau 81, Purple Meadows), and distribution players (Gamesplanet).

The association's service offering centers on event orchestration and member-facing programs: Game Conf and Game Invest (B2B conferences and funding introductions hosted with Cnam-Enjmin and Pôle Image Magelis), Horizon(s) Bordeaux Videogames Forum (held at the Opéra National de Bordeaux), the spawn! festival in Angoulême, Global Game Jam coordination, the START orientation program for students and career changers, and organized international delegations to Gamescom, Game Camp, and ADDON. Its most differentiated technology asset is Jyros, a domain-specialized environmental impact measurement tool co-developed with I-Care through the National Video Game Consortium for the Environment, adopted by 27 pilot studios and aligned with GHG Protocol and Play for the Planet standards.

SO· Games is funded primarily through membership fees and institutional grants from Région Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Bordeaux Métropole, and Magelis. Most events are free for participants, and the association derives no commercial software revenue. Strategic partnerships span national industry unions (SNJV, SELL), academic institutions (Cnam-Enjmin), incubators (Eurekatech/Wizz Start), public financiers (Bpifrance, Crédit Agricole Charente-Périgord, ARTE, Coficiné), and sister regional associations (Atlangames, Capital Games, Game In). Recent strategic activity has focused on board renewal (2025-2027 mandate and May 2026 expansion), sustainability tooling (Jyros), and internationalization through coordinated trade show presence and a Mexican studio exchange program.

Name

SO· Games

Legal name

SO· GAMES

Website

https://sogames.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SO· Games is a French non-profit association representing over 100 video game studios and professionals in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, providing events (Game Conf, Game Invest, Horizon(s), spawn!), funding introductions, the Jyros sustainability tool, and institutional advocacy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Artigues-près-bordeaux

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Association operates through membership fees from video game studios, professionals, and organizations based in Nouvelle-Aquitaine region. Members pay annual dues to access networking events, professional development resources, and collective representation services.
2. Public Funding and Grants: Supported by institutional partners including Région Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Bordeaux Métropole, and Magelis through operational grants and event sponsorship to support regional industry development initiatives.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

SO· Games is a regional industry association (Association loi 1901) representing over 100 video game studios, freelancers, and professionals across the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of France. It provides member services including networking events, professional development, funding introductions, industry advocacy, and participation in international delegations. It also coordinates industry-wide initiatives such as the Jyros environmental measurement tool through a national consortium.

Product overview

SO· Games is a regional industry association representing video game professionals in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France. It is not a product company. The organization provides member services including industry networking, event organization (Game Camp, Game Invest, Game Conf, spawn! festival, START orientation events, Gamescom delegations), professional development, and advocacy for the regional video game ecosystem. It represents over 100 studios and independent professionals across cities including Bordeaux, Angoulême, La Rochelle, Poitiers, Pau, Agen, and Biarritz.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 13 Pégase awards won by Nouvelle-Aquitaine studios since 2020
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• I-CarecoreTechnology or Integration · 6 October 2023Technical partner developing Jyros environmental measurement tool for video game industry. Specializes in digital services environmental impact assessment with ADEME methodology.
• Région Nouvelle-AquitainecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary institutional supporter and funder of SO· Games activities. Provides operational grants and event sponsorship enabling association programs including Gamescom delegations, Game Invest, and regional industry development initiatives.
• Bordeaux MétropolecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey metropolitan partner supporting SO· Games initiatives in Bordeaux, including hosting Game Invest events at Cité Numérique and backing international event delegations.
• Pôle Image MageliscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAngoulême-based image industry ecosystem and primary organizer of Game Conf and Game Invest events. Provides major financial and organizational support for industry events co-organized with SO· Games.
• Grand AngoulêmecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal development agency supporting SO· Games events and programs in the Angoulême area, including spawn! festival and international delegations.
• EurekatechmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnopole operating Wizz Start incubator program for game studios, with SO· Games participating in delegation activities and Mexican exchange program coordination.
• Grand PoitiersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal partner supporting SO· Games activities in the Poitiers area of Nouvelle-Aquitaine region.
• SNJV (Syndicat National du Jeu Vidéo)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational video game industry union and consortium partner for Jyros environmental tool development. Collaborates on national industry representation and sustainability initiatives.
• SELL (Syndicat des Éditeurs de Logiciels de Loisirs)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVideo game publishers' union participating in national consortium for Jyros tool development and supporting spawn! festival as partner.
• WIG (Women in Games)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational organization promoting gender diversity in gaming; SO· Games collaborates on diversity initiatives and events.
• AfrogameusesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociation promoting diversity and inclusion in video games; collaborates on initiatives supporting underrepresented groups in the industry.
• AtlangamesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLanguedoc-Roussillon regional game industry association. SO· Games participates in ADDON events organized by Atlangames in Brittany.
• Capital GamesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIle-de-France regional game industry association; collaborated on Games Made in France 2024 initiative.
• Game InmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNorthern France regional game industry association; SO· Games participates in Game Camp events organized by Game In.
• Cnam-EnjmincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublic engineering school for video games in Angoulême; co-organizes spawn! festival with SO· Games, hosts Game Conf and Game Invest events, and provides student masterclasses at Horizon(s) forums.
• Invest In BordeauxminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBordeaux economic development agency attracting video game companies and talent to the region; member of SO· Games ecosystem.
• Microsoft Experiences Lab BordeauxminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMicrosoft innovation center hosting Game Invest events at Cité Numérique facility in Bègles.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• UKIE: UK trade association for the interactive entertainment sector, performing the equivalent industry representation, advocacy, and member services role in the UK market. Useful comparator for national association operating models in another geography.

Broad incumbents

• EGDF (European Games Developer Federation): Pan-European federation of national game developer associations, providing a continental layer of industry representation analogous to what SO· Games provides at the regional level. Useful comparator for governance model and member service scope.
• IGDA (International Game Developers Association): Global professional association for game developers providing networking, advocacy, and community resources. Performs the same trade-association function as SO· Games at international scale, serving as a benchmark for member service breadth.
• SELL (Syndicat des Éditeurs de Logiciels de Loisirs): National French union for video game publishers. Operates as a broader incumbent at the national level with overlapping industry representation and sustainability mandates, and is a documented consortium partner with SO· Games on the Jyros tool.

Direct peers

• Game In: Regional industry association for video game professionals in Northern France and organizer of Game Camp. Direct regional peer of SO· Games, with overlapping event programming and member services mandate.
• SNJV (Syndicat National du Jeu Vidéo): French national trade union for the video game industry, performing a directly analogous function to SO· Games but at the national level. Both serve as collective industry representation bodies and are consortium partners on the Jyros environmental tool.
• Capital Games: Regional video game industry association for the Île-de-France region. Direct regional peer of SO· Games, performing the same industry representation, event organization, and member services function in France's largest studio cluster.
• Atlangames: Regional video game industry association for the Languedoc-Roussillon region and organizer of ADDON. Direct regional peer of SO· Games with comparable event organization and member services function in another French region.

Others

• Women in Games: International organization promoting gender diversity in the video game industry, collaborating with SO· Games on diversity initiatives and events. Functions as a thematic partner rather than a competing regional association.
• Pôle Image Magelis: Major Angoulême-based image industry cluster and documented core strategic partner of SO· Games. Supports Game Conf, Game Invest, and spawn! festival — functioning as an ecosystem enabler rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SO_Games_NA
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@SO_Games_NA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sogames

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SO· Games